Life and Death - A Sequel to Victory and Defeat
by CaptJoe213
Summary: Amid the battle against Baal, a Necromancer battles to repair the heart of the Amazon he loves. Will he free her from her pain? Or is all hope already lost?
1. Fire in the Jungle

_Welcome all to my little tale. This is the 'official' sequel to my story 'Victory and Defeat' and will be following the storyline as established in that previous tale. This time we will be dealing with Amazons, Necromancers, and Druids. In this chapter we meet our Amazon Freya, and learn about the tragedy that sets her on the path to defeating Baal. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

Life and Death

Chapter One – Fire in the Jungle

Freya steadied her breath, her bowstring pulled tight against her face, a long wooden arrow shaft leading her sight to focus on a wild boar that stood in the jungle clearing some distance away. She took her aim carefully, calling on the Amazonian training that flowed in her blood. Her focus tightened, assuring her aim would be true, and she exhaled slightly as she let the arrow fly from her bow.

The projectile did not betray her, hitting the exact mark she had aimed for, the tip of the arrow finding the boar's heart, and ending its life nearly instantly. Freya stood for just a moment after the beast dropped silently, the wind pushing her platinum blonde hair out behind her as if she was some great warrior of old, having fell a terrible evil. The Amazon broke from her pose, and moved quickly to the clearing to assess her latest kill.

"Nice shot!" Lana said, stepping into the clearing from the brush on the far side. This Amazon was slightly taller than Freya, but they shared many of the same features, a testament to their common heritage.

"My girl checking up on me?" Freya playfully asked.

Lana ignored the comment, opting instead to examine the fallen boar. "No sign of corruption. It's getting more and more rare to find game that isn't being affected by the ill winds that blow these days" Lana slightly frowned to herself, thinking of the darkness that seems to be creeping through the jungle lately.

Rumors about a Dark Wanderer had reached the ears of the Amazons, but it was not the Amazon way to abandon their jungle homes. They would stay and protect their lands against all comers, as had their ancestors before them. Let the outside world deal with their own problems.

"Let's get this boar back to the village" Lana smiled, warming Freya's heart. "We still have a patrol to complete before nightfall."

Soon after Freya, Lana, and another sister were creeping through the jungle, with every sense on highest alert as sounds of people tromping through the undergrowth reached their ears. Within moments the Amazons were on the trio of brigands that had stumbled their way into their beloved lands, and they made sure the men did not live to repeat their violation.

The women did not relax when the final man fell, instead remaining vigilant in case there were more foes to find in the dense vines. Freya flexed her bow, taking comfort in the power in the string. Suddenly a loud clanking noise startled the lithe Amazon.

A young woman appeared out of nowhere before the trio of women warriors. She held a frozen orb in her hand which she then threw between Freya and the third Amazon. The orb threw out splinters of ice in every direction, many of them impacting against Freya. The sky suddenly darkened and lightning bolts began to rain down. Freya knew that this woman was powerful, and that it would likely take more sisters to drop this apparently hostile sorceress.

The frozen orb had decimated Freya, and she knew that staying in the fight would mean nothing more than her death, so she decided the better course of action was to fall back and rouse reinforcements. Freya was sure that Lana would be able to hold her own, she was the best archer Freya had ever known. As Freya bolted away, she felt heat nipping at her heels, and a quick backwards glance revealed a wall of fire where she was just standing. Freya shot through the jungle with all the speed she could muster.

"Quick! A powerful sorceress has invaded the jungle!" Freya shouted breathlessly as she stumbled into the middle of the village. Instantly several sisters bounded out, taking the trail Freya had emerged from, as unconsciousness took the young woman.

After a few hours Freya came to, sitting bolt upright with a gasp. "Now now, easy does it" Doctor Dukka attempted to comfort her. It did little good, and Freya leapt from the cot she was lying in and began frantically searching for her bow. A sense of doom had swept over her, and the only thing that would satisfy her was to stand at Lana's side in battle.

"Freya, Freya" the doctor tried to get her attention, to no avail. "Calm down! The danger has passed."

Relief washed over Freya as the implications of the statement became clear. Lana, Freya's girlfriend, had surely defeated the sorceress handily. Freya cursed herself for doubting for a second the mighty woman's skills. Freya looked around the hut, and found no sign of Lana there. "Not even injured!" Freya breathed in admiration. "Please call for Lana, I would see her at once!"

Neither the doctor nor the other attendants in the hut moved a muscle. An apprehensive look was passed among them however, a look that confused and scared Freya. "Lana I said!" Freya huffed, fear lapping at her. "Fine I will find her myself." Freya moved to exit the hut.

"Stop Freya!" The doctor moved to block her path. "There's something I must tell you. Sit."

Freya turned her head suspiciously. "Careful the words you speak" Freya warned, with a hint of malice in her voice.

"I speak only the truth, and a truth you must hear, no matter how hard it is." The doctor took in a deep breath. "Freya, Lana fell to the sorceress. She is dead. I'm sorry, I know how close you were."

Freya's world collapsed around her as the words washed over her. She stumbled back a few paces and crumpled onto her cot, tears welling up in her sparkling blue eyes. All she could do was cry and pine for the soothing presence of the woman she loved. It may not be befitting of a warrior to cry, but it was befitting a woman with a broken heart so Freya didn't mind the tears. The few days between the battle and the ceremonial funeral for Lana went by in a daze though a single thought kept turning in her head: vengeance.

With Lana's body laid to rest, and her spirit safely sent to the Goddess of the Hunt, Freya began her preparations to pursue the sorceress. After the fire had been put out (a danger in itself that nearly destroyed the village) a charred and burnt path was discovered that led towards the coast. Closer inspection of the beach showed a craft had been moored there. Clearly the sorceress had sailed away, likely towards the Western Lands.

This was all that Freya needed to know, and she prepared the only ship the Amazon Nation had, a small ship used for trading for the few supplies they couldn't obtain by other means. This ferry would see her to the Western Lands where her hunt could begin in earnest. "The bitch will pay" Freya swore aloud.

"Let 'the bitch' go, Freya" a stern voice rang out from behind her. Freya turned to face the voice, though she already knew it to be Artemis, clan mother and leader of the Amazon Nation. "It is not the way of the Amazon to leave these sacred lands. You know this."

"I know Lana was murdered. I know her killer must be brought to justice. I know I'm the only one that will do this. That is what I know!" Freya snapped as she continued to prepare the ship for departure.

"If you do this, if you abandon your sacred duties and turn your back on your home, you may never return" Artemis said gravely. "Is one moment of vengeance worth losing your home over?"

"Lana is dead, my home is already lost!" With that, Freya pushed off, setting the boat to water, and herself on an adventure she could never have imagined.


	2. Darkness Rises

_ Welcome to chapter two of my little attempts at writing a cohesive story. In this chapter we meet the noble but shunned Necromancer. His goal this time is to destroy the evil Countess. Will the Dark Arts help him prevail? Or is our dark knight doomed? Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

II. Darkness Rises

"I'm sorry, but you must leave" said the stern faced man to the Necromancer standing before him. "There is no place for your kind here!"

Tracus sighed and turned to leave without a single word. Too many times had this played out for him to feel anything other than utter despair. When the thorned hulks threatened or the sand scarabs came out of their dens, the denizens of Sanctuary were pleased to see the dark knight stride the land and purge the evil fiends, but when the threat was over, they all turned on the Necromancers and drove them away. Nothing could convince them not to fear the Dark Arts and all who practiced them.

"A priest of Rathma deserves better" Tracus uttered to himself as he trudged away from the village. He turned west, feeling the pull of darkness strongest from that direction. Before he had been unceremoniously booted from town he had heard stories of a troubled encampment far to the west that he expected could use his help. While they might all turn on him in the end, it was his sacred duty to restore the balance of good and evil, and nothing would take him from that task.

A few days travel and several skirmishes later put him in the gateway of a small camp defended by a handful of Sisters of the Sightless Eye. He introduced himself around, and all welcomed him warmly enough, save for the merchant known as Gheed, who had flat out refused to serve him. It was acceptable to Tracus however, for it was clear Gheed was a scam artist preying on the gold of the foolish warriors that happened to pass through.

Finally Tracus came to a wizened old man who seemed instantly glad to see him though they had never met. "Stay awhile and listen!" the elderly man called out. Tracus decided to oblige the man's request, and learned this man was none other than Deckard Cain, last known Horadrim, a name known even to the priests of Rathma. As the old man rattled on about the tragedies that had befallen him, Tracus decided to attempt to bring the fellow into focus. "Why are you here, Sir Cain?"

"I'm here to gain allies for the fight against Baal" the old man said with a fire in his eyes.

"Baal! A Prime Evil yet walks this earth!?" Tracus was taken aback. "I had heard rumors of the fall of the Prime Evils to a pair of warriors."

"That is correct, partially. Luther the paladin and a sorceress named Frost felled both Mephisto and Diablo" Cain explained with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Spendid! Where are they? Let us employ them in our struggle against Baal!" Tracus was already seeing visions of a victorious party emerging from battle against the tyrant demon.

"Alas this cannot be, for they both met their end in Diablo's Sanctuary" Cain shook his head slowly.

Tracus felt his heart sink. "Oh" he sighed before gathering himself back up, "No mind, I shall defeat Baal in their stead!" Tracus felt triumphant already.

"I pray this so, but first you must grow in strength. Baal is not to be taken lightly."

"I must protest Sir Cain, we have but just met, and I am powerful already!" Tracus called forth the power of darkness and held his arms out, a pale, mournful blue glow encasing his head and shoulders, a wailing howl filling the air.

"Parlor tricks are of no avail against a Prime Evil, dark knight" Cain was not impressed. "Search out the Countess in the cellar of her ruined tower in the Black Marsh. Only by gaining experience in battle will you become powerful enough to defeat Baal."

"Very well, I shall do as you ask" Tracus trudged away.

The trip to the Black Marsh was arduous but not impossible for one such as Tracus. His power in the Dark Arts allowed him to animate a section of the ground and turn the dirt into a living creature, a golem of earth and stone that, while slow, packed a terrible wallop. This golem trailed behind Tracus until an enemy was detected, then it lumbered forward and did all it could to keep the foe's attention, allowing Tracus to cast his dark magic or even just wait the battle out in safety.

Many corrupted archers and goatmen fell on the way to the ruined tower in the Black Marsh. Tracus entered the structure's first cellar level and was nearly taken clean from his feet by the stench of evil and decay. His head felt dizzy for a moment as the radiating aura of evil washed over him. He knew his festering target lay not far off, and he was determined to finish the vile woman and be done with the affair.

The first several levels gave no sign of his target, though when he had entered the fifth floor that all changed. She, this so-called Countess, was surely close by, Tracus could feel it in his very soul. All Necromancers could detect evil at short ranges, a gift imparted through one's studies with the cult of Rathma. Now evil was detected, and it was going to be exterminated.

Tracus carefully made his was forward, allowing his golem to cut through the nasty little red demon creatures that infested the level. They were cruel, wicked little beings with scimitars nearly as big as themselves. They were easy work for the golem however, and Tracus only had to resort to his dagger a few times. Soon the main room was clear, and Tracus began around the corner, seeking his prey.

The Countess wasn't alone. She was surrounded by corrupted rogues who were on the golem in a flash. Tracus knew there was a danger of being overrun if he did not act fast, so he quickly chanted a small prayer and a wall of bone began orbiting around him, serving as a barrier against some damage. He then turned his focus to the nearest rogue, who was battering his golem with a wicked looking sword. The terrible woman was ate with hatred and evil, and cared for nothing but causing harm to those of the Light. Tracus called on the Dark Arts and caused several tooth-like projections to fly out from his hands and rip through the fallen rogue.

The woman fell, and Tracus began to move to the next target when suddenly pain shot up through his feet and legs as flames leapt up from the floor. The Countess, standing aback from her minions, cackled an awful laugh. Tracus leapt away, and fired a few of those bone teeth in her direction. The Countess just absorbed the damage as though it was nothing. Ages of rage and hatred had corrupted and twisted her mind, a process that was amplified when the Dark Wanderer had passed nearby on his trek for Diablo's Sanctuary.

While her mind had deteriorated into that of a demon's, she still held enough mentality to cast her fire walls and be a formidable foe in combat. Tracus blew a few bone teeth at the last standing minion and leapt at the Countess with his dagger. He swiped at the furious woman, landing a few blows between her vicious retaliations with her wicked axe. The terrible weapon bounced off his bone armor more than once, setting Tracus to worry it would fail at a crucial moment. He shook off this fear and pressed on in his attacks, halting only to momentarily chant a short phrase, calling the Dark Arts to curse the Countess to take increased damage. His attacks weren't doing much good, and Tracus was beginning to question how powerful he really was.

Just as those thoughts drifted through the young Necromancer's head, his golem finished with the final minion and turned his attention to the Countess. It only took a few solid, earth-backed blows before the Countess shifted her attention away from Tracus and onto the massive golem. This was just the opening Tracus needed. He retrieved a small vial from his belt and quickly uncorked it. Pouring the vile green liquid down the length of his dagger, he choked as the fumes from the foul smelling poison reached his nostrils. Soon his entire dagger blade was coated with the deadly concoction.

The Countess was still engaged with the golem and was paying Tracus no heed whatsoever. Taking advantage of this, Tracus circled around behind the corrupted woman and sank the blade deep into her flesh between her shoulder blades. The poison began to act almost instantly. The Countess screamed an unholy scream and clawed at her back. She danced about, trying vainly to remove the poison from her body somehow, and failing miserably. Within moments death took her and the Countess was no more.

In the room beyond her now festering corpse was a chest full of hundreds of gold pieces, a pair of magical boots and a couple of small rune rocks emanating magical power. Tracus gathered the loot and began the trip back to the encampment. It was easy going, with all the monsters dead.

As Tracus made his way through the Cold Plains he discovered an angel carrying a bow. She was blonde, clad in leather armor, and Tracus knew the moment he saw her that he loved her.


	3. Lost and Found

III. Lost and Found

While Freya's anger was enough to drive her forward, it did not make up for her lack of nautical skills. Freya found herself at the mercy of the sea most of the time, and because of this she was at sea for a few more weeks than the journey should have rightfully taken. Landfall was a blessing from the Goddess herself, for Freya had run out of supplies and was on the verge of hunger-induced panic when she finally sighted land.

After sating her hunger with a pair of rabbits she had expertly shot, she turned her attention to the hunt. It took her another week of wandering to find a village that had any information, and all she learned was to seek out the camp of the Sisters of the Sightless Eye. As Freya headed towards their encampment, she allowed her mind to wander to more pleasant times in the jungle with Lana.

One sweltering evening always came to Freya's mind. The pair had spent the day hunting and patrolling the jungle, and evening found them, as it often did, together. Lana was Freya's best friend. No, she was closer than even that, closer than a sister. Freya considered Lana a part of her, like her arm, and needed her as much as one needs their extremities. Without Lana at her side, the world seemed a darker place.

This evening the girls had made a small campfire away from the main fire of the village, both of them craving privacy and not yet knowing why. They talked into the night, speaking of shared experiences and laughing at good times past. Before long they found themselves sitting close together. Lana had reached up and taken Freya's hand gently. Freya did not pull away, something inside her felt natural and good holding Lana's hand in hers.

The small talk continued until Freya was reminded of her first solo hunt where a wild boar had injured her and left her alone and afraid in the steaming jungle rain. On relating this memory to Lana, Freya felt the smallest of tears form at the corner of her eye. Lana had jumped forward immediately and taken Freya into her arms in a massive hug. Freya had melted into the embrace, feeling Lana's curvy body pressed against hers. Electricity shot through her every last nerve as she lingered in the embrace.

Lana pulled back a little, but to Freya it felt as though she was torn away from her. Lana stared deeply into Freya's sparkling blue eyes, with fire dancing in her own, and whispered "It will be okay, I promise" and then Lana leaned in and kissed Freya tenderly, questioningly. Freya felt her heart stop and realized this was what she wanted, that she loved Lana and had loved Lana for a very long time before. Freya answered the kiss by hungrily kissing back, and allowing her hands to slide over the Amazon's body to her hips. She pulled on Lana, prompting her to scoot closer without releasing Freya's lips.

When the kiss finally ended, both girls could do nothing more than pant heavily as they drank in the passion that burned in both of their hearts. Seconds later they were again lip locked as their hands explored each other's bodies. With a few frantic tugs buckles were loosened, and armor removed. Before long neither girl wore anything other than the night.

Freya smiled as she remembered that first night. Lana had touched her body in ways she never imagined possible. But now Lana was gone, and the sorceress was going to pay. With the memory ruined by the truth of the situation, Freya trekked on, and finally arrived at the encampment.

Freya had barely arrived when she was approached by a woman with a fiery mane and a gleam in her eye to match. "Well well, I never expected to see an Amazon in these lands" the woman's red cape fluttered off her well armored shoulder. "Take care, the corruption here is very strong. Several of my rogues have fallen to the darkness, make sure you're not next."

"Thank you, but I am above such corruption" Freya answered, a hint of superiority in her voice. The Sisters of the Sightless Eye were rivals to the Amazons, and while both groups stood for the Light, they weren't above some friendly rivalry.

"I am glad you've come, for I need your help, Amazon. I am Kaysha, the leader of the Sisters here at the moment. There is a fallen rogue, the captain of the forces here that has taken up residence in the Burial Grounds. This captain, Blood Raven is her name, deserves a better fate than to be left to fester in her madness. Please, go and release Blood Raven so her spirit might find rest." Kaysha explained.

"I would see to your Blood Raven, but I am on a quest of my own" Freya answered.

"What quest is this? Perhaps I can be of some service" Kaysha seemed genuine.

"I seek a powerful sorceress that might have passed this way a few weeks back" Freya went on to describe the physical appearance as best she could from the rather brief encounter they had in the jungle.

"I know of this sorceress that you seek. Her name is Frost. The rest I will tell you after you return from Blood Raven" Kaysha said with finality.

The Amazon just glared at the woman, while she deliberated whether she could get away with slugging the redhead. Deciding against it, Freya sighed, and turned to exit the camp and deal with this 'Blood Raven' so that her hunt might resume.

"Seek the Burial Grounds just beyond the Cold Plains!" Kaysha called out after her.

The way was strangely clear. So far when wandering around produced monsters every so often, but this time the path was clear, as though someone had been through the area before her. Freya wondered if this was a good sign or bad, but didn't allow her mind to dwell on the question. She soon found herself standing at the entranceway to the Burial Grounds.

No more than a few steps in, she ran afoul of a handful of skeletons. With her bow in her grip, the skeletons had little chance for anything other than a quick death. She wandered closer to a decrepit old gate that was barely attached to a rotting fence that enclosed the area in a cross like pattern. Peering in through the bars revealed to her a single large tree in the center of the area, and under that tree stood a towering woman.

"Blood Raven!" Freya whispered to herself. The Sister was clearly larger than Freya who herself stood at a considerable height. The woman was armed with a wicked bow that was as twisted as her features. The demon's ensemble of deteriorating armor was capped off by bright shiny boots on her feet. Blood Raven, besides being armed, was not alone. She was surrounded by a half dozen zombie in various stages of decay, along with a few skeletons, their bones discolored from exposure to the elements.

Freya slipped quietly just inside the gate. Notching an arrow she aimed carefully. She let the arrow fly which struck a zombie near Blood Raven directly in the head with such force that rotting brain matter was plastered all over everyone in close proximity, which alerted Blood Raven and the rest of her minions to the Amazon's presence. This mattered little to Freya who was quickly notching another arrow, this one slamming into Blood Raven herself.

The demon did not fall but instead shot around the fenced in area with incredible speed. She stopped in front of one of the many tombstones that dotted the area and chanted a spell and raised her arms, calling forth another zombie from the grave. Freya realized that she must stop Blood Raven first, or else she could continue to call zombies and skeletons until the Amazon was overrun and defeated.

Freya ran a little to her left to line up a clear shot, and was able to fire off a few arrows before the lumbering zombies blocked her view of the fallen woman. Blood Raven was not slacking either, sending arrows of her own whizzing past Freya. A few came close to hitting the archer, but her training in the jungles of her home had given her the reflexes to quickly dodge incoming missiles, at least part of the time.

Thus the deadly dance went on, both Freya and Blood Raven moving to positions where they could safely fire arrows, but where they were at least partially blocked from the view of their foe. Freya was quick to drop a zombie or skeleton whenever Blood Raven would stop to raise one, keeping the numbers of her opponents manageably low. Raven did not bother to raise many but instead darted around with her unnatural speed and fired arrows all while insanely cackling.

Freya could see that she was wearing the woman down. Several arrows had struck true, and though Blood Raven tore them out as though they were nothing, her body was not as unshakable as her demonic mind. Sickly red blood flowed from several of the wounds, and though her speed was not diminished, her aim was. Most of the arrow she now fired flew far wide of Freya, and the Amazon knew this battle was coming to an end.

Then the perfect moment presented itself. Freya had just dropped a zombie and had the idea of elevating herself for a shot at the demon woman. Scanning the area, she decided to jump on the tombstone that was before her feet. From her new vantage point she could see that Blood Raven had turned away from her to begin a new scramble for position. Freya knew she had just a split second to get a shot off. Pulling the arrow back she chanted a quick spell causing white magical energy to dance about the arrowhead. Time seemed to slow down and her breathing became deep and regular as she felt her focus tighten. With her lungs empty, and her aim sure, she let the magic arrow fly.

Not only did the arrow find its mark, it was critically effective at doing so. The arrow impacted just as Blood Raven was turning her head, catching her cleanly above her ear. The magical energy helped the arrow rip through skin and bone, and Blood Raven's head exploded in a shower of crimson, splattering bits of brain all over the nearby zombies, who for their part, took little notice. The now headless body took a few steps and then crumpled to the ground. Suddenly lightning bolts began shooting from Blood Raven's corpse, and a scream pierced the air.

The energy released from the liberation of Blood Raven's soul from its wretched cage caused all of the zombies and skeletons around the corpse to be instantly destroyed. Freya breathed a sigh of relief now that the battle was over. A gleam from Blood Raven's corpse caught her eye, and slowly the Amazon approached the body after the final release of power had ended.

The source of the fallen captain's speed was revealed to be her light plated boots, which were clearly imbued with magic. The jungle had taught Freya to be practical when it came to scavenging the dead, so with a little effort the boots were removed. Freya was not able to determine the magic properties on her own, so she removed the single Scroll of Identify she carried from her belt and read the incantation out loud. A dizzy feeling came over her, and her mind sharpened with a tremendous clarity. Once again she examined the boots, and now all was revealed to her.

The effects of the Identify Scroll allowed her to magically discern these boots where none other than Vidala's Fetlock, and that they were enchanted with the ability to increase one's speed of movement along with allowing them greater stamina as well. On learning this information, the spell faded and the parchment of the scroll crumbled, it's single use now discharged.

Freya was overjoyed with her loot, which she immediately donned. The enchantment coursed through her, and her already considerable quickness was improved that much more. She realized that she desperately wanted to share this new find with someone, and her first choice would have been Lana. Again the pain of losing Lana pierced Freya's heart, and again she vowed justice would be served.

As Freya exited the Burial Grounds, she found herself face to face with a white haired man clad in bone armor being followed by what appeared to be an animated mound of dirt.

"Stand down or I will fire!" Freya shouted, quickly notching an arrow.

"Do not fire, I am a friend!" the man put his hands up defensively.

"Prove it! Call off your pet" Freya stayed at the ready.

The man sighed. "Very well, if that is what is required." Chanting a quick spell, the man banished the golem from his side. "Are you happy now?"

The Amazon answered by simply lowering her bow.

"Ah, the start of a beautiful friendship!" the man said, smiling.

Freya seriously doubted it.


	4. Getting Hammered

IV. Getting Hammered

Freya and Tracus had spoken little beyond formal introductions on the trip back to the encampment. Amazons did not trust non-Amazons in general, and Freya was especially wary of Necromancers, at least she would have been had she met one prior to that day. She just always figured that fighting fire with fire leads to someone getting burnt. Once they arrived, Freya was quick to find Kaysha and inform her of Blood Raven's demise. Kaysha pointed Freya to a wizened old man in the center of camp in regards to her questions about the sorceress Frost.

The old man was speaking to Tracus and Freya caught only the tail end of the conversation.

"…deed you've done today" the old man leaned heavily on his walking stick.

"Thank you Sir Cain" Tracus bowed slightly. "Ah, I don't believe you two have been introduced properly. Freya, this is the last Horadrim, Deckard Cain, Sir Cain, this is the Amazon Freya" Tracus gestured one to the other.

"It is a pleasure, Freya" Cain smiled with the few teeth he had remaining.

"Likewise" Freya nodded slightly. "Kaysha says you know of the sorceress Frost and where I might find her."

"I do at that, but if I may ask, what business has an Amazon with an outsider like Frost?"

"She is to die by my hand in penance for slaying a fellow Amazon" Freya voice was hard and cold, and carried a distinct edge.

Cain just sighed. "She was good at making enemies."

Freya hesitated a moment, and then the full impact of Cain's statement began to sink in. "Wait old man, you said 'was' not 'is'. What are you telling me?"

"The sorceress known as Frost is dead, slain by the hand of the Prime Evil Diablo. Her lover, and comrade at arms, the paladin Luther died with her, taking his own life after the loss of hers." Cain shook his head sadly as he related the news.

Freya felt her knees begin to wobble and threatened to give out. _Dead! _Freya thought to herself, _what am I supposed to do now? _Her hate and rage had consumed her, pushed her on this mission all just to find out someone else beat her to the punch? She didn't know if she could accept it or not.

"There is another matter at hand" Cain said gravely. "While Frost and Luther rid much of Sanctuary of the evil taint, it is not yet fully contained. One last Prime Evil needs to be slain before the world can return to normal."

Freya was still reeling. She realized she could not return home nor could she satisfy her thirst for revenge. It all felt wrong to her. Lana's blood still called out to her. Suddenly her resolve intensified and she realized the only path she could take. "I will utterly destroy this final Prime Evil in tribute to my fallen sister." Freya declared with finality.

Then it was Tracus' turn to feel his knees buckle as Freya made her proclamation. He had only known this woman an hour or less, and most of that time was spent in silence, and yet he knew he loved her completely. Now she was volunteering for the most dangerous mission possible, to face a Prime Evil in open combat, and Tracus would be damned, literally, if he allowed her to do so alone. "I pledge my blade to this mission as well. Baal will fall at our hands, or we at his."

Freya considered protesting, if only for a moment. She ultimately decided against it, somewhat admiring the bravery of this man she had just met. Though she wasn't sure what angle the Necromancer was working, she did feel as though he wasn't a danger to her directly, and besides, it was going to be a long road to travel, and why travel alone? "I welcome your blade but know the death blow is mine alone."

Tracus nodded his agreement. "But before we move against Baal, we must train ourselves to be stronger. A Prime Evil is nothing to be trifled with."

Freya was confident, but not foolish. "Agreed."

"Where are we off to now?" Freya looked around.

"Seek the smith, her name is Charsi, I believe she needs your aid" Cain pointed towards Charsi's location.

Within moments Freya and Tracus found themselves before the smith's station in the encampment. The young smith was hard at work forging a long sword, her blonde locks dropping forward into her blue eyes as she hammered away. Her form was apparent, even behind her heavy blacksmith's apron. If Tracus hadn't already cast his heart on Freya, he might have sought this fair maiden.

Freya noticed Tracus' look of appraisal, and for reasons she didn't understand, she felt a pang of jealousy. "Excuse me" she called out to Charsi.

"Oh hello!" Charsi greeted the duo, removing her heavy leather work gloves and offering a handshake to each of them. "What can I do for you?"  
"We are here to ascertain the same from you" Tracus said with a little flourish, not being able to help himself.

Charsi chuckled, more confused by the Necromancer's statement than impressed. "What?"

Freya muscled in. "We heard you need some help."

"Oh right. When I fled the Monastery, I left behind the Horadric Malus, my enchanted smithing hammer. If you retrieve it, I will be able to enchant one of your items with magical powers."

"It'll be back in your hands before you know it" Tracus said with a bow.

Freya just rolled her eyes and started towards the exit of the encampment.

The trip towards the Monastery was fairly uneventful, since Tracus had cleared all the demons along the path all the way up to the Black Marsh and the Countess' Tower. After this point they were beset by goatmen, corrupted rogues, and the occasional Yeti as they entered the Monastery courtyard. These demons all easily fell to a combined attack of an earth golem, Freya's arrows, and Tracus' teeth projectiles. The pair made their way into the run down Monastery, and searched several rooms with no sign of the Malus. As Freya was about to open a door to explore further, Tracus suddenly rushed forward and caught her arm.

"Careful. I sense a powerful demon in the room beyond" Tracus warned.

"What do you make of it?" Freya asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I fear it guards the Malus. Demons are drawn to powerful magical objects. Let me go first with the golem."

Freya frowned, she didn't know if this was an act of bravado or simply an attempt at strategy on the Necromancer's part. She had already noticed the way he looked at her, the way he hung on her every word. The way he would leave himself vulnerable to attack just to protect her from the smallest of dangers. It was the last thing Freya needed, the attentions of the dark knight, but his magic was powerful, and from a practical point of view, she needed him for the battle against Baal. She was confused on how to let him know she wanted him as an ally, maybe even as a friend, but that was all, nothing further without making the situation even more awkward than it already was.

"Hey, snap to!" Tracus gently shook the Amazon. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's do this!" Freya refocused on the task at hand, notching an arrow in her bowstring.

Tracus threw the door open wide quickly and ushered his golem through the doorway, following behind it while firing teeth projectiles at anything that caught his eye. Inside the room the pair found a pack of Fallen, complete with a staff wielding shaman, along with a towering demon covered in festering wounds and burn marks working at a small anvil and fire pit dug out in the corner. From the looks of things, this demon was acting as a smith, and was making weapons with what appeared to be Charsi's enchanted Malus. Several of the wicked looking axes and swords that the corrupted rogues carried are laid about the area.

The golem, being a simple magical creature with no mind of its own stopped and attacked the first foe it senses which is one of the small pack of Fallen, those small demon creatures that carry scimitars as large as themselves, which Tracus had ran into on the way to slay the Countess. The golem smashed the Fallen right in the head with its earthen fist, sending the creature down, once and for all.

Or at least that's the illusion. The shaman chanted a short spell and suddenly the Fallen is returned to his feet, little worse for wear. The golem didn't discern between foes, nor did he realize that the shaman will just keep raising the Fallen he's attacking if left to its own devices. Freya moved quickly to even the odds by putting an arrow to that same shaman. One tight shot through the monster's eye and the raising of destroyed Fallen ceased once and for all.

"I will feast on your bones!" Freya heard the deep booming voice of the large demon call out. Freya watched as Tracus moved to intercept the Smith, as she immediately named the demon. The Necromancer was quick on his toes, as he fired teeth at the massive demon. Freya turned her attention to the Fallen in the room, pelting the nasty little creatures with arrows while allowing the golem to hold their immediate attention.

Suddenly a scream ripped through the air. Freya quickly whipped around to see that Tracus had emitted the terrible sound as the Smith had struck him squarely on the chest. His bone armor disintegrated from the power of the blow, and the Necromancer was knocked clean off his feet. Tracus landed in a pile against the far wall.

Freya knew she had to move fast before the Smith could swoop in and finish Tracus off. She quickly ran over and positioned herself between the demon and the man, serving as a shield. She fired several arrows into the Smith, desperately trying to get the demon's attention to no avail. Focusing her mind and allowing her anger to rise, she drew her bow back and the arrow became enchanted with powerful fire magic, with flames leaping from the shaft and arrowhead. Freya released the arrow, sending it flying. Her aim was true, and the projectile slammed into the Smith's upper shoulder of his off hand. Though this did not affect his ability to attack, the arrow was apparently enough to break the Smith's attention, and he turned to take out his wrath on Freya.

"Now! Get out of here! I've got this!" Freya shouted, hoping Tracus was still conscious.

The Necromancer was indeed still conscious, and was moving away from Freya as fast as he could, holding his left shoulder in pain. "Sorry!" Tracus shouted as he pulled a small scroll from his belt. The scroll was bound together with a blue string which Tracus quickly tossed aside as he unfurled the parchment. Reading the magical words inscribed on the paper, Tracus felt a discharge of energy nearby, and a large blue oval appeared beside him.

The portal cackled with magic, and Tracus took a deep breath and plunged through, disappearing from the battlefield. Soon after the portal closed, to keep monsters from pouring into town through it.

Freya, now alone, smiled knowing that Tracus was safely back in town via the portal he had opened. She continued to fire arrows and run to various positions throughout the room, always staying one step ahead of the Smith. She was glad to have Vidala's boots on her feet, magically increasing her speed. The Smith was not able to pose a danger to Freya at all, and after a few more burning arrows, the massive demon fell, dropping the Horadric Malus. Freya retrieved the Malus and began the long trek back to the encampment, since she didn't have a fancy scroll of town portal.

She moved quickly, taking out the occasional demon or mutated animal as she went. Her mind kept coming back to Tracus, and she didn't understand why. Maybe she was coming to feel something for the dark knight. Lana danced across Freya's mind. Maybe not. All she knew for sure were things were going to be interesting.


End file.
